Punitive device.



PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908. J. R. HINTON.

PUNITIVE DEVICE.

APPLICATION TILED MAY 28, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES [NVENTOR Hltomeys.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.,'WASHINGTON. n. c.

No. 890,905. PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908. J. R. HINTON.

PUNITIVE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1907.

3SHEETSSHEET 2.

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No. 890,905. PATENTE D JUNE 16, 1908. J. R. HINTON.

PUNITIVE DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 28, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. HINTON, OF OASHMERE, WASHINGTON.

PUNITIVE DE VICE To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, JOHN R. HiNToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cashmere, in the county of Chelan, State of VVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Punitive Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in punitive devices and it has particular reference to a device of this character which is employed in connection with safes and safe vaults.

The object of the invention is to provide means for trapping a burglar when he approaches the safe or vault to rifle the same, and to provide means for preventing the burglar from making an escape after he has been caught.

Generally speaking the invention comprises a pair of sliding doors which coact with the wall of the building to form an inclosure, these doors being normally held open and concealed by electrically controlled latching devices, which are released by the closing of a circuit by means of mechanical connections which are actuated by the movement of a movable floor panel disposed in front of the safe and upon which the burglar must step before he can commence his operations.

The details of construction will appear in the course of the following description, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, like characters of reference designating similar parts throughout the several views, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view looking at the floor and showing the various connections. Fig. 2 is a front elevation showing the doors in their closed position. Fig. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the door latching and opening mechanism. Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the elements for closing the circuit by means of which the door latching elements are operated to release the doors. Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating one of a series of guide rollers carried at the upper ends of the doors.

Referring specifically to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates a conventional safe or vault which is set into the wall 2. The latter is formed with rear- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 28, 1907.

Patented June 16, 1908.

Serial No. 376,193.

wardly extending converging curved vertical recesses 3 between the floor and ceiling and in which the automatically operated doors 4 for trapping the burglar are normally held.

At the rear ends of the recesses 3 a plurality of casings 5 are provided through which plungers 6 have axial movement, the plungers 6 being each formed with enlarged bearing.

heads 7 which are adapted to impinge the rear ends of the door 4, and to force the latter out of the recesses 3 to a position where they are closed. Such action is effected by means of strong, expansive coil springs 8 connected with said stems and with the casing 5 and which when the doors 4 are disposed in the recesses 3, are compressed as will be readily understood. The doors 4 at their rear ends,

and between the casings 5, are provided with I hooks or catches 9 and pivoted latch members 10 are designed to engage the catches 9 by gravity and to hold said doors withinsaid recesses and in their open position. The latches 10 form the armatures of electro magnets 11 and 12 respectively, which are connected by a wire 13, the upper magnet 11 being connected by a wire 14 with a battery 15, a. manually controlled switch 16 being interposed in the wire 14. The lower magnet 12 is connected by a wire 17 with a contact member 18 which depends from a yieldable floor panel 19, the latter being supported by springs 20 in a recess 21 in the floor 22. For the purpose of limiting the movement of this panel under the tension of the springs 20, the same is provided with offset flanges 23 which bear againstflanges 24 projecting inwardly from the recess 21 as stops. Within said recess 21 is a stationary contact member 25 with which the member 18 cooperates upon downward movement of the panel 19 under the weight of the body. The member 25 is connected by awire 26 with the battery 15. Within the upper edges of the recess 3, a portion of semi-annular curved tracks 27 are received, the latter being fixed to the ceiling and preferably in recesses provided therefor, and being of channel bar shape. The doors 4 are provided along their upper edges with friction rollers 28 which bear against the tracks 27in the movement of said doors in either direction. The tracks 27 are disposed with their ends opposing in order that when the doors 4 are moved from the recesses 3 said doors may coact with the wall 2 to form a complete inclosure. The panel 19 is located directly in front of the safe and is of such proportions that a person working about the safe must necessarily step upon it. In this action said panel will be depressed against the tension of the springs 20, at which time, the member 18 will contact with the member 25 and close the circuit through the connections above described. When the circuit is closed the magnets 11 and 12 are energized to raise their latch armatures 10 from engagement with the catches 9. The springs 8 being compressed as above set forth, will move the I plungers 6 to force the doors outwardly from the recesses 3 to the closed position illustrated in Fig. 2, and by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The doors 4, are preferably equipped with .suitable automatic locks 40 which afford a positive means against the doors being opened by the burglar after they have once been automaticaly moved to closed position.

While the elements herein shown and described are well adapted to serve the functions set forth, it is obvious that various minor changes may be made in the proportions, shape and arrangement of the several parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed isz 1. A device of the type set forth comprising doors mounted for movement towards and away from one another, electromagnetically controlled latch members for sustaining said doors in their open position, means for forcing said doors towards one 3 another when released by said latch members, a stationary contact, a source-of electrical supply connected therewith and with the electro-magnets of said latch members, a yieldable body, a contact carried thereby, 4 and adapted for engagement with said stationary contact, and circuits connecting said last named contact and said electro-magnets.

2. A device of the type set forth comprising doors mounted for movement towards 4 and away from one another, a source of electrical supply, a circuit connected therewith,

a floor plate designed to close said circuit when depressed under the weight of a body, electromagnetically controlled devices inter- 5 posed in said circuit for holding said doors in open position, said electro magnets being operable to release said doors when said circuit is closed, and means for forcing said doors toward one another when released by 5' said electroanagnets.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN R. HINTON. Witnesses:

JOHN C. LILLY, CHAs. E. TAYLOR 

